Sunday, January 31, 2010

Imbolc

We celebrated Imbolc last night with a fire on the patio. Firelight and a full moon - wonderful. A clear dark sky with only wisps of high cloud catching the moonlight, Orion and his dog star bright before the moon rose, then fading in response to her light. A cold north wind at sunset gradually dropped. A fire mostly of white birch and maple trimmings from a friend's trees, two years old at least and dry. A bed of glowing red coals with flickering blue halos below the higher flames. A few twigs from my trees, again old prunings, rowen and oak and cherry. Pale golden mead - the best - and fresh bread, shared around and with the fire. Then when the flames died down and the moon rose high, indoors for warmth and more food. And so home.

Imbolc is one of the four cross-quarter festivals in the pagan year, along with Beltane, Lammas, and Samhain, and marks the beginning of spring. It's a fire festival, and is associated with Bridged, Celtic Saint/Goddess, and with the beginning of the lambing season and the ewe's milk that goes with it. Not much sign of spring last night, but it will come.

And the next book in the series...

Journeyman bard Gwernin Storyteller accompanies a Welsh princess to Ireland for her wedding. But other members of the party have their own objectives... Set five years after The Ash Spear, this will be the 4th book in the Storyteller series, and the beginning of a new trilogy. Scheduled for publication in late 2015.

Poetry Books

My published poetry series so far includes King Arthur's Raid on Hell and Pryderi's Pigs. Coming soon: Storyteller Songs, a collection of poetry and prose from the first three books of the Storyteller series.